Why AGS Laboratories?

AGS Laboratories’ diamond grading reports offer easy-to-read grading scales. AGS diamond grading reports provide you with all the information you need to make the best, most informed buying decision. The objective of AGS Laboratories is simple, to offer quality diamond grading information that is user-friendly and set to the highest standards.

The mission of the laboratory also supports the mission of the American Gem Society which is based on three key principles.

Consumer Protection
Demonstrated Educational Achievement by Jewelers
A Strong Commitment to Ethical Business Practice

The AGS Laboratories is the only diamond grading laboratory that is focused on consumer protection and satisfaction. Because the Laboratory is associated with the retail members of the American Gem Society, a group of over 1,200 jewelry retailers in Canada and the United States and is responsible to its founding principles, the AGS Laboratories is set apart and we believe, set above other laboratories.

AGS Diamond Quality

Here’s what you should consider before buying a diamond: Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat Weight. These are known as the 4Cs of diamond grading. At AGS Laboratories, a minimum of two diamond graders assess each diamond on each of these characteristics. This ensures that we are giving you the most accurate information on your diamond grading report. To see a full explanation of each of the 4Cs click on the characteristic you wish to know more about:

Cut
Color
Clarity
Carat weight

Cut

A Diamond Cut is the style or design guide used when shaping a diamond for polishing such as the Brilliant Cut. Cut does not refer to shape (pear, oval), but the symmetry, proportioning and polish of a diamond. The cut of a diamond greatly impacts diamond brilliance, this means if the cut is bad, it will be less luminous.

Many of the people think that Cut is just the shape of the diamond (round brilliant, princess, emerald, oval, etc.) but it is so much more! Diamonds must be cut and polished in order to release their true beauty. It is only when the smooth facets are polished on the diamond that it truly comes to life. A little knowledge about how diamonds are shaped in nature and what a cutter must do to make them sparkle will help you understand Cut. It is the diamond’s cut that will make a person fall in love with it. A diamond can be flawless and colorless, but it will not be beautiful if it does not dance with light. Good diamond cutting also can disguise lower color and can override lower clarity due to dazzling light return.

Color

How the diamond colors graded?

Fancy color diamonds are graded in two ways.The first factor considered is the stone basic hue, such as pink, yellow, blue, green, etc.The second is the diamond's intensity. Both color characteristics form the basis for determining a fancy colored diamond's worth. Usually, the more intense the color, the rarer and more expensive the diamond will be. For example, a fancy light pink diamond costs less than a fancy vivid pink diamond of equal size, shape and clarity. Natural colored diamonds come in all shades, hues and colors of the rainbow, with some of the most popular colors being shades and combinations of pink, blue, brown, yellow, orange, green and red. They are generally smaller than other diamonds and are used primarily in fashion jewelry. Yellow is the most commonly-occurring fancy color, while red, blue and green diamonds are extremely rare.

Clarity

Diamond clarity is a quality of diamonds relating to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs of diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. A clarity grade is assigned based on the overall appearance of the stone less than 10x magnification.

When a diamond is graded for clarity, the diamond grader uses a binocular microscope and specific lighting to locate, identify and plot the diamond’s characteristics, then considers the effect these have on the diamond’s appearance and/or durability. The grader assigns a final grade with a 10 x loupe. Diamonds without inclusions or blemishes are rare; however, most characteristics can only be seen with magnification.

Carat Weight

Carat weight is the weight of the diamond measured in carats. One carat is divided into 100 "points" so that a diamond of 75 points weighs 0.75 carats. Carat weight is the most obvious factor in determining the value of a diamond.But two diamonds of equal carat weights can have very different prices, depending on their quality. Diamonds of high quality can be found in all size ranges.

This is the diamond’s physical weight measured in metric carats. One carat equals 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points. Carat weight is the most objective of the diamonds 4Cs. It involves no estimates, comparisons, or judgments. All that is required is a precisely balanced scale capable of weighing extremely small weights.